Now that you're in the middle of planning your wine tasting event, it's time to make sure you don't let your wines show up in the raw.
Of course, the main attraction of your event is the wine selection, but your participants are going to need some other sustenance between sips. You can always resort to the basics: crackers and cheese, but why not enhance your offering with some tasty goodies that are paired to the wines you're offering up?
To start off, set up your appetizers just as you would pair a main dish with your wine. Stay away from heavier dishes like sausages when you're tasting lighter wines, like whites and blushes. If you have a more defined theme, then stick with the theme for your food items.
And remember to keep it casual. Even though you're showing off some food items, the event is about the wines. Don't over-prepare. In fact, look for items that are ready to go, right off the shelf. Finger foods are best, and will help maintain the casual atmosphere.
Here are some specifics: This list of finger food appetizers are perfect for tasting events. They are simple to prepare, and if you don't overdo, you won't even have any cleanup other than the plates. Each of these is versatile, and most can pair well with a variety of wine types.
Remember that there are no rules here. However, it's best to stay away from heavily spiced foods as they may interfere with the wines you're focusing on. Start out simple and keep your work to a minimum.
Bread and/or Crackers: My favorite breads are crusty plain breads like French Baguettes, or even round loafs. The crusts add more than flavor to the experience. For simplicity, tear the loaves (never cut them) into a serving plate and cover them with a napkin to keep them from drying out. And while I recommend keeping away from spices, a little olive oil to dip your bread in shouldn't interfere with the wines.
Crackers are another great alternative. With so many varieties of crackers available, you may have as difficult a time choosing as I do. For your tasting event, select smallish crackers with relatively little spice or other flavors.
Cheese Plate: Obviously, you can serve cheeses with your wines. Put out a variety of cheeses along with knives for cutting. Serving cheese with wine is an area where two passions cross - or sometimes collide. Cheese tasting evokes as much passion as does wine tasting. And while you may be able to serve strong cheeses with wine, the outcomes are likely to be different from what you intend. If your main purpose for your event is to taste and evaluate wines, stick with the milder cheeses that are less likely to overpower the wines. But on that note, turning the tables, and making a cheese-primary gathering your next event may be a great idea, and bring an entirely new, and equally diverse, experience to you and your friends.
Nuts and Dried Fruit: Nuts make a great alternative. Stay away from the salted and flavored varieties, but other than that, pretty much anything goes. Nuts make a great companion to your olives. You might try some dried fruits as well. You can even find packaged mixes of nuts and dried fruits that keep your preparation time to a minimum. Keep away from sweetened dried fruits.
Sausages and Meats: Depending on your locale, you can find a wide variety of sausages and specialized meats at your local deli, gourmet shop, or even at your grocery. Slice your sausages and meats to bite sized pieces that can easily be put on your crusty breads, or combined with your cheese selections.
Cured Olives: Speaking of olive oil, Calamata olives, or other 'non-green' olives make a great segue to your tasting. Select olives that don't have extra flavors added to them. And be sure to have an extra bowl for the pits.
Tapenade: As an alternative to your olive selection, try a tapenade. The ground olives make for a tasty spread on your breads. You should be able to find a variety of tapenades at local stores. But you can just as easily make your own by combining your own olives (without the pits) and other ingredients like dried tomatoes, in a blender with some olive oil. Experimentation is great.
When you're prepping your tasting note cards for the wines, include space for rating the appetizers (assuming you're serving more than one). While there's less structure around evaluating crackers than wines, you can build up your library of favorites and pairing preferences for future gatherings.
Scott Koegler is the publisher of Wines of Yadkin Valley. He lives in Wilkesboro with his wife Donna Marie and their dogs. Scott and Donna Marie visit the wineries, interview the owners and staff, and do their best to understand what makes for good wines. Their work has taken them to meet many friendly faces.
Now that you're in the middle of planning your wine 
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